Xavier Bernazard is a name that you’re probably already familiarized with. They have released the long-awaited album “Funerals For My Funeral”, their debut album featuring The Deadly Beloved. The Deadly Beloved is a queer alt-rock band founded and fronted by Xavier Bernazard & keyboardist Lauren Samonte who also founded the group in 2022 with Xavier. Their music follows the story created by Xavier in their solo career, it tackles themes such as mortality, angst, healing, nostalgia, perseverance, & the hardships of life. It marks the end of a season of life.
Xavier is accompanied by drummer and producer Nathan McCord, Fox DeVaughn, and Adam McGrath on the electric guitar, Alex Hodge as the bassist, and Josh Karas on the keys.
“Enemy” starts the album off with a soft sultry sound with a little bit of intensity, the song may already be a favorite to you since it was their first release. Xavier brings you in with the power being their vocals and words, it’s a song that really makes you use your brain. With that orchestral outro, it’s no wonder why it’s their most popular song from the album.
The album’s beauty doesn’t stop there; “XOXO” is the song you need to get your dramatization out. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelming emotions, this would be the track for you. It will allow you to open yourself up and let the tears flow. “XOXO” is the kind of song you hear in a movie track or in a musical, it’s powerful and makes you reach this high and allows you to comfortably jump.
The Deadly Beloved and Xavier give you 45 minutes of pure bliss and variety, “De Mi” is a song that you can understand and feel no matter the language barrier. Emotion is something everyone can understand and that’s exactly the language spoken in their music. The variety that was described earlier persists in the track “Hero Song”, a song that should be an opening for an anime starring a queer character.
Alas, every album must come to an end, and in this case, the album ends with the self-titled track “Balloons For My Funeral”. A slow, melodic song that seems to make the end seem not so bad, “It’s not a goodbye”. Now that the album is here it’s there for you to enjoy at your leisure, it’s going to be one you play all the time.
Written by Jayé Maverick
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